


Love is Poison

by Souless_Robot



Series: After the Storm [3]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Adorable Bruce Banner, Doctor Strange is a Doctor, Don't Piss off the Russian Assasin, Gen, Jealousy, Misunderstandings, Natasha Romanov Feels, Natasha Romanov Has Issues, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Sassy Loki (Marvel), Sassy Sorcerer Trio, The Awkward Bruce and Natasha reunion, Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-04-24
Packaged: 2019-04-14 06:21:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14129949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Souless_Robot/pseuds/Souless_Robot
Summary: Bruce is back on Earth and Thor has managed to smooth things over with the remaining Avengers. As the Doctor Squad goes to Norway to help the injured Asgardians tensions rise between the world government and between Bruce and Natasha. Too bad he never got a Phd in making up with Russian Assassins.Or Dr. Strange and Loki sass about healing magic, Christine Palmer is a godsend, and Bruce says all the wrong things.





	1. Love is a Dog from Hell

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all, I’m back with a long awaited sequel! I in fact have two sequels in the works for this verse that I want to get out before Infinity War completely breaks my happiness. This should be somewhere between two and three chapters depending on where the writing takes me. IF you're new to this AU I recommend going back and reading Afraid of a little thunder? so this fic makes more sense.

It was a testament to how crazy Bruce’s last few weeks were that stepping through a glowing orange portal didn’t even register as weird. No, that honor went to Natasha who had only said a handful of words to him since Thor’s arrival. Honestly it was making his skin crawl. He didn’t catch her staring at him during the meeting with Strange, but he knew she was watching him and it made him uneasy. Natasha had never been the most upfront Avenger, but right now he had no idea what to expect. So he carefully kept as far away from Natasha as possible while the group crossed from Strange’s Sanctum to Norway.

Once all the Avengers and Revengers plus Wong crossed through the portal. Strange created another portal, with a brief “I’m getting help. I’ll be back in a few don’t light anything on fire.” He was gone. Leaving the rag tag team to mill about the open field while the Asgardians looked on curiously. 

Clint pulled a face at Strange’s departure and then slid over to Natasha. The pair held a whispered conference. He placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Bruce would have given his left leg to know what the two were talking about. Two legs if the conversation would give him insight into what Natasha would do next. God decided not to take him up on the bargain though and he was left just as in the dark. 

Clint turned back to the rest of the group a lazy smile on his face,“Okay, nice seeing everyone,” He said with a mock salute, “But, if shit is going to hit the fan —like Thor says it is— I really need to go give Cap a heads up.” 

Tony looked down at the ground. Apparently finding something very interesting in the grass that required his attention. Bruce still had no idea what exactly had happened between Steve and Tony. It must have been really bad for Tony to be pretending Clint didn’t exist at the mention of Cap. If he knew where he stood with Natasha he’d ask her. But as it was just talking to her seemed like he would be playing with matches in a coal mine filled with gas. 

“Please give Wanda my regards.” Vision requested warmly. Clint nodded once, waved goodbye, and then took off jogging towards the treeline on the opposite side of the field.

Bruce racked his head as he moved towards the refugee camp. The only Wanda he could think of was the witchy twin who worked with Ultron. Something didn’t add up, he was missing so much information for just two years. Everything had changed. While he hadn’t expected normalcy per say, he also hadn’t expected the world turning on its head like it had. Tony Stark following the rules and Captain America breaking them? He never would have predicted that, not in a million years. He let out a loud sigh as he ran his hand down his face. Whatever. He’d figure out the new social reality in due time. 

The group was mixed. There was Natasha and himself, along with Doctor Strange and his colleagues. A man who was dressed in monks robes that he simply introduced as Wong. Thor, Loki and Brunnhilde were having a sidebar and catching Thor up on the state of the Asgardians since he had been gone. The rest of the Avengers had their own set of priorities to deal with. Starting with the need to pick up the Quinjet and hold off Ross. Bruce was pretty sure Tony was just sticking around to keep an eye on Loki and Strange, though knowing Tony there were probably two dozen other reasons as well. 

Bruce really wasn’t sure where he fit in this picture. It wasn’t with the Avengers, too much had happened that he wasn’t privy to. He didn’t really fit into the governance of Asgard either. Sure, the Asgardians treated him as a savior, but that was really more the Hulk than him. All that left him awkwardly really neither here nor there as he mulled around, rocking back and forth on his feet as waiting for something to happen. 

“So, Wong,” Bruce tried, glancing at the stoic sorcerer, “How long have you known Stephen?”

“Far too long.” The man said shortly, not even turning his head as he stared at the sky.

“Did he always have the cape?” He tried again. 

“The Cloak of Levitation is an ancient magic relic embedded with power, not a ‘cape’.” Bruce squirmed a little under the scrutiny, “But no, he did not always have it.” 

When it became apparent that Wong had nothing more to say Bruce gave up on small talk and went back to fidgeting. 

After what felt like forever in Bruce’s wallflower time. A portal reappeared and Strange stepped out. Well, not stepped out, more like floated. Bruce wasn’t sure what he expected, one never knew with a name like Stephen Strange, but following behind him was a woman in blue scrubs. 

“This is Doctor Christine Palmer she’ll be assisting us today.” Strange introduced, his voice echoing across the field. Thor glanced up, smiled and waved before continuing his discussion with Loki and Brunnhilde. Natasha and Vision walked over while Tony remained to fuss over the clearly young Spiderman. Bruce still wanted to know what was up with that, if he didn’t know better he would think Tony had adopted a kid. 

“Vision,” the cyborg said, stretching his hand out for a shake, “A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” 

Doctor Palmer took it, shaking it lightly, “Please call me Christine, the pleasure’s all mine. It’s not everyday you get to meet heroes afterall!” 

“Bruce,” Bruce said sticking his hand out. She clasped his hand.

“Doctor Banner, it’s an honor. I read all your work on poverty and rural medicine when I was in med-school. It was truly fascinating.” 

Bruce blushed and Natasha narrowed her eyes. He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, “Well it wasn’t really that groundbreaking, anyone could have seen the relation between resource distribution, health, and globalization in India.”

“All the same I can’t wait to work with you.” The doctor said with a smile. 

“Yes, yes everyone has been introduced.” Strange said irritated, “I’ll retrieve supplies. I suggest the rest of you do something to make yourselves useful rather than standing around gossiping.” 

“He’s always like that,” Christine said apologetically, as she glared at the back of his head. 

With a swish of his cloak Strange was walking through another conjured portal. Shortly afterwards crates of marked with a red cross began to appear in the field. 

Bruce inched closer to Natasha, “So uh…” he started, “Have you ever been to Norway before? Lovely country.” 

Natasha folded her hands behind her back, “Once. I executed a Soviet Official who tried to flee to the west.” 

Her voice was smooth and Bruce gulped.

“Uh, well I mean at least you got to travel for work.” Bruce joked, fidgeting awkwardly. He wasn’t really sure how to salvage this conversation. 

“It was in a blizzard. The KGB wanted it to look like an accident. I held him down in the snow while he froze to death.” 

Bruce opened and closed his mouth not really sure what to say. Sure, Natasha had killed people he knew that. She’d told him that. Part of her joining the Avengers was to try to clear some of the red in her ledger. Her and Clint sometimes even joked about it. But she was never so flippant about telling the details of the murders. Usually she had a bit of a haunted look about her. Now she just looked cold and Bruce fought the urge to step away from her. 

“Stephen,” Wong’s dry voice called, saving Bruce from any further interaction, “I’m not sure this is what the Ancient One had in mind when she taught you to open your third eye.” he commented, looking over the supplies.

“Well, we both know that she didn’t pick me for my law abiding tendencies.” Stephen huffed as he levitated down a final parcel.

“Stephen are you…” Christine said looking between the two men and the boxes of medical supplies, “Stealing this equipment?” She finished, incredulous. 

“I’m not stealing it!” Strange argued, crossing his arms defensively. “I would never use magic for something as petty as theft.”

“As long as you’re not using the Dark Dimension to make matter out of nothing I don’t care how you got it.” Wong said with disinterest as Stephen shot him an afronted look that said, ‘What do you think I am an idiot?’.

“Then where did all this come from?” Bruce asked his curiosity piqued. Magic wasn’t something he’d ever hypothesized about before.

“It’s wealth redistribution.” Strange explained, a note of pride in his voice. 

“You mean stealing. You can’t just do that Stephen!” Doctor Palmer scolded with her hands on her hips. “That’s not right. There are proper channels to go through for this type of thing. Plenty of people would be willing to donate to a relief effort.” 

Strange rolled his eyes, “Yes, ‘proper channels’” he sneered, “Proper channels that would take weeks to get us what we need. Time and resources wasted by a bureaucracy no one should have to deal with. Not to mention shark like aid agencies that are just looking to bolster their own reputation. No, that’s not what anyone needs right now Christine. Besides I’m liberating it from paranoid businessmen who will likely die of cardiac arrest from their diets long before they need these supplies!”

“Sounds like stealing to me,” Tony chimed in from the peanut gallery. 

Strange turned on him with a flourish of his cloak, “Well, considering that most of the supplies came from Stark Industries I prefer to think of it as a donation.” 

Tony’s mouth dropped, “Wait you stole from me?! You-” 

“Please, it’s not like you would have ever noticed them missing if I hadn’t mentioned it.” Strange scoffed crossing his arms over his chest.

“I keep a careful inventory-” 

Suddenly Thor was back from his mini council meeting and beside a bristling Tony Stark,“Thank you Tony!” Thor smiled brightly as he clasped Tony’s shoulder, “You are truly a great friend!” 

Thor might be able to fool everyone else here (well probably not Natashat), but he wasn’t fooling Bruce. No that intervention wasn’t just an overly charismatic Thunder God expressing gratitude that was Thor King of Asgard cutting off conflict before things escalated. 

“Alright,” Strange said not giving Tony time to restart the argument, “Myself and anyone else with a medical background are going to be tending to the Asgardians. If you aren’t making yourself useful keep out of the way.” 

Tony rolled his eyes at Strange and then patted Thor on the arm, “Hey Thor, since Vis, the kid, and I aren’t much good for paying nursemaids we’re gonna head back to the jet and catch Rhodey up on what’s going on. We’ll also keep an eye out for Ross and give you heads up when he’s on the way.” Tony stated already moving towards the vehicle with the other two trailing slightly after him. Thor hummed in agreement but didn’t say anything. 

Natasha walked over to help Christine move the questionably procured medical supplies to the patients. The remaining group made their way across the field to where the Asgardians were emerging from the woods. 

“My King,” Heimdall said with a slight bow as Thor approached, grinning. 

“Heimdall,” Thor said with a nod in acknowledgement, “I take it nothing has occurred in our absence?” 

“All has been peaceful, though I fear this will not last for much longer.” The golden eyed watcher replied. 

“As do I. But in the meantime I have brought help to tend to the wounded. This is Doctor Strange and his friends,” Thor said gesturing at Strange, Wong and Doctor Palmer, “They are well versed in magic and the medical arts. And you already know Bruce and Loki. This is Lady Natasha she will also be aiding us.” 

Heimdall turned his piercing gaze on the group and cocked his head to the side examining each of them. Bruce was always uncomfortable when the golden eyed Asgardian stared at him. He seemed to strip everything away until he stared at the very core of a person. It was unsettling to say the least. After a few more seconds the guard stepped off to the side and ushered Thor over. Thor waved the rest of them along. 

“Heimdall what is the report on the ill and injured?” Loki asked. 

“As you know my King,” Heimdall said bowing his head slightly to Thor, “My Prince,” then a small dip towards Loki, “There were no mortalities when we fled from the Mad Titan. But with the sudden burst of magic and the fall upon arrival many suffered from injuries. The worst were those near the exterior of the ship when the attack was initiated. Some are suffering from frostbite or are injured from the parts of ship falling on them.” 

“We need to establish a triage system.” Strange spoke up.

Doctor Palmer bobbed her head in agreement, “Yes, we need to separate out those that need medical care immediately and are at the greatest risk of fatality. Heimdall could you fill us in on the main types of injuries?”

“I see there is much wisdom in this organization.” Heimdall concluded his golden eyes watching them, “There are those that the Tesseracts magic exhausted physically and magically, most of them are children and the elderly. They are weak and their magical cores are at risk unless the balance can be corrected. There is a smaller group that have serious wounds from the attack on the ship and a majority that have broken bones or bruises from the landing. Those that are not injured are in low spirits, some are quite hysterical or irrate. If left unattended they have been picking fights and causing panic. Is this a sufficient summary?” 

“Quite. Alright now we need to divide ourselves based on our abilities.” Christine ordered, taking charge. “Those with experience in magic should tend to the magically exhausted or harmed first.” She said eying Loki and Wong, “I’ll look after those that are critical or need immediate medical attention. Stephen keep a portal open to the hospital I’ll have people on standby in the ER in case we need to transfer anyone. Doctor Banner are you still a practicing medical doctor?”

“Umm” Bruce stammered taken off guard. He was so used to people just assuming because of the title Doctor that he was a medical practitioner, “Yes, though I can’t say my medical license is up to date and I’ve never done trauma care before.” The Avengers seemed content to overlook the last fact for convinces sake and before the Hulk had decided to take him on a space adventure he was often acting as a medical first responder for the team. 

Christine nodded, “That’s fine I doubt there will be any malpractice suits out here. You can help me determine patient status. I may need a second opinion. Natasha was it?” Natasha tilted her head, “You can handle the more minor injuries that need treatment. Thor you should go talk to people that are in hysterics. It would probably do them well to hear a message from their leader.” 

“You are a very wise woman Lady Palmer.” Thor smiled gratefully, “If you need any assistance please ask. I’ll issue an order that you are to be obeyed.” 

“Right,” Christine said pulling on a white medical mask to cover her mouth and pulling on some latex gloves with a snap, “Let’s get to work.”


	2. Love is a Battlefield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Bruce says all the wrong things and things inevitably get worse before they get better.

Although Bruce had seven PhDs his medical degree was probably the degree he was most proud of. That’s what he’d been doing when Natasha had found him in India back in 2012. It was partially self-imposed exile due to the Hulk, it was also some of the most rewarding work he’d ever done. Healing people, watching people run towards him instead of away, it was a nice feeling. There was something miraculous about saving a life and something heart-wrenching in failing he mused as he stared down at the box of medical supplies that Strange had handed him.

Christine and him had gotten right to work. Christine gave the patients a ten second look over assessing the degree of injuries. If someone was bad she’d bark an order at Strange and he’d levitate the person through a portal and into a fully equipped ER with staff on standby. Christine Palmer was a no-nonsense woman, that was for sure, a capable woman that deserved respect. All Bruce could think about while she issued orders was what his life would have been like if he’d become a regular doctor instead of a physicist. He shoved the thought aside. No use ruminating on what-ifs, physics and the Hulk that was his life now.

He splinted broken bones and sewed up deep cuts. His patients blurring together as he worked, time seemed to slip away from him as little moans of pain turned into sighs of relief. It felt good to throw himself into his work.

He was helping Christine manage a particularly bratty patient as she set a dislocated shoulder when she casually asked, “So what’s bothering you?” right before she pushed down and the child cried bloody murder and threw his limbs out in all directions.

“What do you mean?” He replied, watching as the mother thanked them and then swept off with the still sobbing child.

“Oh, come on let’s cut through all the avoidance. I deal with Stephen over there on a semi-regular basis I know what troubled genius looks like and you my friend are covered in it.” Bruce mentally added intuitive to his growing list of things that impressed him about Doctor Christine Palmer. It sat right below being able to handle Strange on a semi-regular basis.

Bruce sighed, “Yeah, I suppose so,” His hands were wrapping up a young man’s stomach wound, it kept him grounded as he tried to find the words to explain. He’d finished his patient and moved onto an old man with a severed deltoid before he had an answer, “It’s just I’ve been away from Earth for two years and everything is different. My friends had some big fight and apparently hate each other's guts now. There’s all these new people I don’t know. Loki-” Bruce said pointing at where Loki and Dr. Strange appeared to be in some sort of magic off, “Loki over there- the guy who tried to take over the world in 2012 I feel like I know him better than half of my old friends and I’ve only been hanging out with him for a couple of weeks.” Bruce lowered his voice, “And he’s kind of crazy. It’s like a came home to a weird parallel world only where this is the darkest timeline.” 

“Wow, that does sound pretty bad.” Doctor Palmer murmured in sympathy as she swabbed an antiseptic over a deep cut on a little girl’s leg.

“You don’t know the half of it! I kind of disappeared after a big crisis and I was just… well there was this girl- lady- woman and we kind of hit it off. There’s not many people that would you know,” Bruce said gesturing at himself, “Take me with the other guy. And now it’s super awkward and I don’t know what to say. I think she might want to pluck out my eyes and push my off a fjord.” He whispered as he glanced around for Natasha.

Christine laughed. It was more of a giggle really and her hands didn’t stop working as she injected another Asgardian man with sedative. “So, lady trouble,” She surmised, “The root of all male conflict. I swear the smarter the man the worse they are with women.”

“I’d like to be offended, but I’m pretty sure what you said is true.” Bruce complained, “Damn we’re nearly out of bandages.” He rummaged around her med kit and found she was pretty much in the same predicament, “Here I’ll go fetch some-”

“Hold it a second Banner. Let me give you some advice before you runaway. Come help me bind this man’s leg.” Christine ordered as she straightened out an Asgardian man’s knee. His shin was a nasty purple and he’d obviously bruised, if not broken the bone.

“I wasn’t-”

“Tut-tut help now, excuses later.” She said handing him the last of their bandages. He got to work wrapping the leg as she elevated it, “I was going to advise that you clear the air sooner rather than later. There’s no force in the world like a woman scorned. Plus, it’s apparent by the way you talk about her that there’s still something there. You can sort out the Avengers mess later. From what Stephen tells me there’s another looming world ending event anyways, I’m sure the Avengers will have to reunite and sort out their differences then. There’s no use worrying about that now, just you know do what you can.”

Bruce blinked at her. That was surprisingly sound advice for someone he’d just met, “So you don’t think she’d kill me?”

“Well she might, but it sounds like we all might die anyways and getting killed by a lover is more romantic than an alien horde.” Christine replied as she lowered the Asgardians leg and started explaining how to protect his injury from further harm.

“I know people that would disagree with you.” Bruce called over to her as he stood up. The image of Korg and Valkyrie popped into his head, yup he was pretty sure most of the Asgardians and even Thor thought dying in battle was romantic. Crazy aliens.

With Christine preoccupied with dealing with the few remaining severely injured patients Bruce decided to go pick up a fresh box of bandages and painkillers for her. He tromped over the grassy field towards the nearest box of supplies. The medical supplies just so happened to be right next to where Strange, Loki, and Wong were working. He could hear the trio long before he caught full sight of them. It didn’t take any of his PhDs to know the three sorcerers were quite predictably arguing.

Strange was knelt next to a blonde Asgardian girl. It looked like he was tying her arm up into a splint and the girl kept wiggling forcing strange to undo his bindings and start all over again. Bruce watched this happen three times, he could move, he could offer his help but he found himself intrigued. Watching Strange work was a bit like watching a circus in a tornado, statistically unlikely, yet eye catching. For a doctor, Strange had surprisingly bad bedside manners and Bruce could hear him muttering curses from over six feet away.

Apparently, Loki could also hear him and strode up behind his fellow sorcerer, “My brother and I would be infinitely grateful if you would stop corrupting Asgard’s youth.”

“My Prince,” The young girl spluttered and blushed slightly as Loki overlooked Strange’s work. She twitched again and the bandages loosened.

Loki’s lips tugged up into a smug smile before he turned to the Sorcerer Supreme and said, “That’s not how you tie a splint.”

“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t realize you graduated medical school.” Strange drawled, not even looking up from his work.

Loki huffed in amusement, “I have no need of a Midgardian medical school when clearly they do not even teach basic binding practices correctly.”

“Well perhaps if Asgard would teach its youth how to stand still for medical checkups it wouldn’t take so long.”

Wong was rubbing the bridge of his nose with one hand while he used a summoning circle to tend to a young boy’s broken arm. “Such children,” he murmured as the little boy giggled. Wong stood up and pushed Strange out of the way quickly tying the girls arm up in one fluid motion, before sending her back to her mother.

“That’s how you tie a splint. If the two of you are going to act like children I will spell you back to your embryonic stage so you both look your correct age. Now go be helpful.” Wong commanded and both Strange and Loki gulped and scrambled in their separate directions.

Bruce smiled. It was hard to imagine this Loki was the same Loki that had nearly destroyed New York. It didn’t compute, seriously he didn’t know how Wong did it. Maybe there was a spell for managing ego filled idiots.

Bruce pulled out a couple bottles of antiseptic and ten rolls of bandages along with some nerve numbing agents for Christine and stacked them into his smaller medical box. He hefted the box up and headed back to the now noticeably smaller number of patients she was tending.

He dropped it beside her and she gave him a grateful smile, “Why don’t you go take a break?” She asked without looking up, “I’ve got these last couple of patients under control and we’ve been at this for hours.

“No, I couldn’t.”

“Doctor Banner, I don’t know how much sleep you’ve gotten lately, but you were here in this mess hours before Stephen came and found me. Go grab some food I’ve got this under control.”

“I look that bad?” He asked dragging a hand over his face.

“Worse.”

Bruce sighed, “Fine.”

-x-

Bruce drifted towards Brunnhilde. He didn’t know how he knew, but something in his subconscious told him that she always managed to find food and booze.

“Hey, big guy,” She greeted clasping him on the back, “Want a drink?”

“Uh, maybe not right now. Might have to go back to doctoring.”

“Suit yourself,” She said raising her glass and taking a deep swig.

“How many of those have you had?” He asked noting the empty bottles around her.

“Who's counting doc?” She shrugged, “Besides I had to watch my planet blow up to get rid of an evil bitch. I’m pretty sure everyone needs booze. In fact,” she lowered her voice to a whisper and beckoned him closer, “I’ll bet you my next bar tab that as soon as his kingliness gets everyone sorted the first thing he does is plan a mourning feast and get everyone some mead.”

“Something tells me I shouldn’t take you up on that.”

“What scared?” She goaded, a playful smile on her lips.

“Yeah, a little,” He admitted, “Mostly that one of your bar tabs would bankrupt me.”

Brunnhilde burst out laughing, “You might be right little man.”

“I could use some food though, if you have any.”

She pointed him to a pile of wooden crates in the center of the encampment, “Tin man brought some weird stuff, no eglian worms though. He must be trying not to get into my good books,” She mumbled.

“Uh, Earth doesn’t have whatever an eglian worm is.” Bruce said rubbing the back of his head. He had a sinking feeling it was those white worms he’d eaten on the orgy ship. That had been an experience to say the least, an experience he could have gone without.

“Really?” She asked. Bruce nodded, “Huh, weird.”

“Well, uh thanks I’m gonna go grab some food and get back to doctoring.”

“See you around, Big guy.” Brunnhilde said waving him off.

He followed the Valkyrie's directions and was bent down cracking open a crate when a distinct feminine voice rang out behind him, “So, you and the warrior?”

Bruce jumped and turned around slowly to find Natasha quirking her eyebrows at him. The expression was neutral if perhaps a bit teasing. But something told Bruce that there was a much darker emotion hidden underneath.

“Umm, the warrior? I’m not sure I follow.” He gulped, this, this was an ambush and knowing Natasha it was planned. She’d probably been watching him since he left Christine, waiting for her chance. No, scratch that Natasha had probably convinced Christine to make him take a break while he was grabbing bandages.

Natasha inclined her head to the right and Bruce followed the gesture his eyes finding Brunnhilde laughing with Korg.

“Was there an Asgardian space romance that somehow got left out of the tale with all the talk of an evil alien conqueror?” Natasha cast her voice so it was artificially light.

“What me and Brunnhilde?” Bruce asked incredulously, “You think we’re a thing? No, just no. She’s great, but we’re just friends.”

“I see.” Natasha said flatly. She gazed at his face an impassive expression painted on. 

“You don’t believe me?” He asked a hint of something rising in his stomach as he finished rummaging around and pulled out a protein bar. 

Natasha looked him up and down, “No, I believe you.”

“Okay good. Glad to see you trust me enough to end up alone in space and not seek out romance first thing,” he said. slamming the lid on the food crate. If someone had asked him why he was so angry he couldn’t have answered. He just knew he was, his ever-present anger was boiling up, clawing its way up his throat.

“Well you were gone for two years. A lot can happen in two years.” There was nothing accusatory in her tone, but somehow, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was an accusation. She was blaming him for something.

“Yeah, I can see that,” Bruce said trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice as he pulled himself up to sit on the box, “Like the Avengers having some petty feud and letting Thaddeus Ross come out on top or maybe you guys deciding to sell your souls to him.”

“That was,” Natasha paused, looking for a word, “Regrettable, but with things escalating the way they did it wasn’t totally avoidable, not with the world watching our missions go sideways.”

“Not avoidable?” Bruce asked in disbelief, “Thor’s working with his megalomaniac younger brother who stabs him for fun on a regular basis! After their thousand-yearlong royal family drama I think just about anything is forgivable and avoidable. No one’s even called Steve yet! You guys just need to get over yourselves and talk to each other!” Bruce finished jabbing his finger at her. If she was going to blame him for disappearing, he sure as hell was going to hold her accountable for whatever had happened to the Avengers.

She clenched her teeth it was subtle but it was there. Apparently, something he’d said had hit its mark and frazzled the unflappable Black Widow, “What do you think I’ve been trying to do this whole time? Twiddle my thumbs and make daisy chains? You try telling Tony Stark to get over himself and see where it gets you!”

“I will!” Bruce heard himself shout. He looked down to see his hands tint green. He breathed deeply battling his anger down, now wasn’t the time. Deep breath, count one, two, three. He’d done this hundreds of times, just breath Banner he told himself. Then he mulled over what he’d said. What Natasha had said. He came to a realization, she’d been playing him, “Hey don’t play mind games with me. I’m not going to do your dirty work!”

Natasha frowned and looked at him.

“You guys got yourselves into this mess,” He scowled, crossing his arms, “I was in some alien gladiator ring this whole time. You guys can grow up and fix your own problems, just because I can’t get angry doesn’t mean I’m your official peacemaker.”

Natasha blinked at him before she stepped forward and leaned in close to his face, “I’ve really missed you. You and your stupid adorable brain.” Then she closed the distance and kissed him.

What in the...? She was kissing him. That was… He couldn’t think. Her mouth was warm and she felt safe. Why was she kissing him? It felt like his brain was short circuiting. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d kissed anyone. Wait, no he did. His brain started to descend from cloud nine and he remembered. He remembered exactly the last time he’d kissed someone, it had been Natasha. It had been Natasha right after they’d found her in Ultron’s lair. After he’d told her she was his compelling reason to stay in control. That was right before she’d pushed him off a cliff.

He moved away and broke the kiss. There was a wolf whistle to his left and when his eyes followed the sound he expected to see Tony, instead he saw Brunnhilde giving him two thumbs up and a cocky grin. He scowled and flipped her off, he didn’t need his romantic tribulations broadcasted for her entertainment. She just laughed and turned away. Bruce shifted his eyes back to Natasha who was staring at him like he’d grown a second head.

“You can’t just kiss me like that!”

“Why not?” Her voice sounded perplexed and she tilted her head analyzing him. He felt like he was a creature under a microscope. He stepped back further. 

“Natasha, you pushed me off of Sokovia. Maybe that was two years ago for you, but that was like two weeks ago for me!”

Any emotion Natasha had was wiped from her face. She was back to her Black Widow persona. It didn’t matter what she was feeling she needed to hear this.

“I told you I didn’t want to fight and you pushed me. I spent two years as the Hulk! If Thor hadn’t found me on that alien planet I could have spent my whole life as the Hulk there an no one would have known! Don’t play with me Natasha, you kiss me when you want something. You’ve always just used me to get to the Hulk.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off, “Oh and who are you to ask me about space romances? I could ask you the same question! How many guys have you been playing since I left?” She frowned and folded her arms across her chest, “I wouldn’t be surprised if you were just playing me from the start. Make the sad little man inside the Hulk fall in love to control the beast!” Bruce knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as it came out of his mouth but he couldn’t stop the flow, “I was always just a mission!” He yelled.

There was silence around them, only the sound of trees swaying could be heard. He glanced around to find them alone. All the Asgardians in the encampment seemed to have wisely slunk off somewhere.

Natasha closed her eyes, but he didn’t stop, “In the end the mission will always be more important than your feelings that’s just how it is. That’s just you.” He finished staring at her, waiting for her to contradict him, to try and prove him wrong, at the very least to raise her voice.

Instead she stood there silently, firm and unmoving when she spoke her voice was uncharacteristically soft. Bruce had to strain his ears to make out the words, “They told us love was poison.” It was like she was casting a confession to the wind. A confession that was ripped from her. It sounded so un-Natasha like, so broken, “That it would infect us and kill us slowly so instead we must kill it.” She opened her eyes and looked Bruce right in the eye, “I suppose they were right.” She whispered.

Bruce felt his heart sink. This really wasn’t the way he wanted this conversation to go. Natasha didn’t talk much about her past period. He didn’t know how he wanted it to go, he was angry, but he didn’t want this. Not some trauma fueled justification pried from her.

“I thought you were dead,” She admitted, “It was better than thinking that you would have left willingly.” He flinched. That was like a punch to the stomach, “I told you that I couldn’t have children because you couldn’t either. I should have told you this story then too, but I was scared.”

Bruce opened his mouth to reassure her. She didn’t give him the chance, “I’m a coward with a lot of red in my ledger Bruce that’s the truth, that’s all I am. I’m not even sure I’m capable of love.”

She paused and seemed to draw further into herself, “When I was fifteen there was a mission... they wanted to make sure, to weed out the weak. The ones who would be susceptible to the poison. In the Red Room if you couldn’t build up your resistance to poison then you died.” Natasha’s voice was clinical as it always was when she talked about her training. She stared at some imagined thing past Bruce, “I was sent on a mission and there was a boy, a fellow Russian agent, KGB I think. We were both young. It was one of my first espionage missions. I’d been in the field longer than him, but we kept running into each other. He saved my life once and I returned the favor, it was all for the motherland, right?” An ugly half-smile formed on her face. Bruce felt like he was watching a meteor hurtle to Earth, all he could do was stare.

“He was charming I knew I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help myself. A few more missions and we were entangled. I was naive I thought I was better than them and I could keep it secret, I still don’t know how they found out, but they did. The next time they passed a file to me it was his face with a red x through it. They never said anything, but it was clear the ultimatum: cut the poison out before it was too late or die now. The next time I saw him I killed him. I pretended we were on a joint mission and waited until he’d met his mission goals. We went out for drinks and back to his room. He was laughing he never saw it coming as I wrapped wire around his neck. Once he asphyxiated I left. He’s probably buried in some unmarked grave in Petrograd.”

The way Natasha said the last part, like she was discussing the weather. It sent a shiver down his spine. He knew she’d killed people, but she never talked about it with him. Clint probably knew the nitty gritty details, she’d never told any of the others though.

“I had never been in love before.” Her voice cracked, “Not really I knew how to play the game, to read people, to manipulate them and make them love me. But I had never been in love.” Natasha said. Her voice was barely there, Bruce strained his ears, “This is on me though. I swore I wouldn’t do it again, but I did because I’m weak and I thought I was free. I’m sure my mind picked you because it thought you were the safest choice.”

“Me?!” Bruce gaped, “The guy who can’t even get angry without going green. How could I possibly have been a safe choice?”

“Because you could never lie about what you are.”

Bruce’s jaw snapped shut with an audible click. That, that really hit the nail on the head. A spy raised to constantly lie would be oddly attracted to a person that could never lie. Natasha had killed dozens maybe even hundreds of people, Bruce, he was nothing if not unkillable.

She looked like she was about to cry now. Natasha Romanoff one of the strongest people he’d ever met had just flayed back years of scar tissue for him to look at her throbbing wounds. He swallowed, she was showing him the worst parts of herself and he didn’t know if he was worthy.

“You thought even if someone ordered you to get rid of me ever you wouldn’t be able to?” He concluded connecting all the dots. She was running from her past, always running from the monsters in her head. Bruce got that, well sort of, though usually it was the monsters running from him.

She nodded, “I decided before Ultron even happened that I’d succumb to the poison for you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” He asked gently, scared somehow that he might spook her.

“Fella done me wrong,” Natasha said softly leaning towards Bruce.” Except I was the fella and I did him wrong.” She tucked her red hair under his chin and reached around for a hug. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight, crushing her to his chest. “Where did you think the name: Black Widow came from?”

There was something damp on his shirt. She was crying. He tucked her closer, the Black Widow didn’t cry, but Natasha Romanoff did because she was a very broken human being buried under years of brainwashing and abuse of the worst kind. Bruce wished the Red Room still existed just so he could smash it all over again for what it’d done to all those little girls.

He couldn’t have said how long they stayed like that. Hugging in the middle of a field with injured Asgardians giving them a wide berth as Natasha cried silently.

“You know love isn’t a poison and even if it was poisons in the right dosage can be medicines.” He murmured in her ear.

Natasha stayed silent for a little longer before he heard a quiet, “I’ll take that under advisement Doctor.” She breathed deeply, “I don’t know what’s going to happen next.”

Bruce kissed the top of her head. He gently tugged her away so he could look at her face. Her eyes were a bit red, but she tried to school her expression as he looked at her.

“Neither do I.” Bruce admitted, “But if we make it through the universe wide apocalypse I guess we can figure it out together. See if we die first or if the poison gets us.” He gave her a little bitter smile, “Because if you can’t outlast the poison I definitely can’t.”

“I adore you.” Natasha whispered as she kissed his cheek, “Don’t you dare die on me Banner.”

“I could say the same to you Agent Romanoff.” Bruce smiled, maybe they weren’t perfect, but this was a start and he’d rather have Natasha by his side any day of the week than have her somewhere out there alone thinking love was a poison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Sorry for any medical inaccuracies. I’m a science student but not a premed kid and I didn’t have a ton of time to research emergency medical care. Yikes this took me forever to write, Natasha was not cooperating with me at all so hopefully her and Banner aren't too OOC. I tried my best romance is not my forte! Let me know what you guys think constructive criticism is much appreciated. Next up in the series gets back to thor and the gang and introduces T'Challa! I'm so excited I've literally had that part mostly written for a month but couldn't post it before this! So yeah that should be up and finished before infinity war on Friday so keep your eyes out and look forward to that. It will be called: Sins of the Father! As always please read and review I adore reading everyone's opinion.

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: Noo Bruce you’re only making it worse you adorkable scientist! So here’s the long awaited Bruce/Natasha reunion. Sorry it took so long, but I’ve been a bit preoccupied with my GOTG Jurassic Park crossover. I don’t mind this ship though I do warn it’s my first time writing it. I did my best to do the characters justice. Let me know how it turned out. Also I somehow forgot Christine Palmer worked in the ER.. so here she is being awesome and taking up way more of the chapter than I planned! And you get Doctor Strange playing Robin Hood while I’m at it because why not? I’m also not going to lie it’s going to get worse before it gets better, sorry Bruce. I started this fic because chronologically it had to come before what I have planned next: T’Challa’s entrance! I watched Black Panther and got a ton of great ideas for fitting him into this verse, but this had to come first. So here it is! Also back by popular demand the sassy sorcerer trio!


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